Local food banks, hit hard by turkey shortage, need your help

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- It's not the news anyone wants to hear this time of year - there's a shortage of turkeys. Disease is killing off the birds and driving up the price, and that's putting a burden on some of the less fortunate in our area.

A bird flu in the Midwest wiped out 8 million turkeys this year. With supplies down and prices up, operations such as the Food Bank of South Jersey in Pennsauken are sounding the alarm. Right now they have nowhere near the number of Thanksgiving turkeys needed to distribute to the 250 groups and agencies they supply.

Tom Finn from the Food Bank of South Jersey explains, "We are looking at a shortage of about 6,000 turkeys and that has created within our agencies, even they're out scrambling trying to find turkeys."

The freezers at the food bank warehouse usually have as many as 20,000 turkeys on ice to hand out for Thanksgiving. Right now they've got only half that amount, and fear some clients may go without this holiday.

Finn says, "This time of year when families are looking for that holiday meal... they are working families, they are working two and three jobs sometimes, but they still can't help make ends meet, and the turkey becomes an expensive proposition."

A group from Faith Tabernacle Church in Camden runs a food pantry at their church. This year the number of Thanksgiving turkeys they're picking up from the food bank has had to be significantly cut.

Mallory Williams from Faith Tabernacle Church tells us, "60 to 70 turkeys we usually get, but we're only getting 40 this year due to the shortage of turkeys. Most likely the smaller families, we'll give them a chicken and try to give them all the rest of the stuff like potatoes and stuff that makes a meal for Thanksgiving."

Every year every year right before Thanksgiving the food bank usually holds a big turkey drop off day. But this year, because of the shortage, they're adding an additional day.

The first drop off is this Saturday, November 14th at the food bank warehouse in Pennsauken from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. followed by another one on the November 21st.

Finn says, "So we're asking them while they are out and doing their shopping, if they can pick up an extra turkey they can find a way to bring one over here, that would be great."

Lots of supermarkets offer free turkeys if you spend a certain amount of money. The food bank would love to have those if you can spare them.